A Haunt To Remember
by Abori Chan
Summary: [AU] After her mother's death, Kikyou moves into an inherited shrine with her younger sister Kaede. All is well, until strange occurrences begin in the household. Soon, it is evident that a demoniac presence has besieged the grounds. Can Kikyou get to the bottom of this haunting before it harms her loved ones? Read and Review!
1. Inheritance

**DISCLAIMER:** _I don't own Inuyasha characters. It's the property of Rumiko Takahashi._

* * *

The day was cloudy. A small crowd had gathered in the cremation ground. People dressed in black, sobbing and wailing watched over funeral flames as they sent plumes of smoke heavenward. At the forefront of this gathering, stood a young woman, in her mid twenties. She surveyed the scene impassively from behind her raven bangs, her brown eyes reflectively watching the body dissolve to ash. An even younger girl clung to the older one's bosom, weeping bitterly, possessing the same hair and eyes as of her sister's. The elder one held her protectively, letting her cry and dampen the black kimono she wore over her normal clothes. A tear streamed down her own pale cheek, which she brushed off angrily. It was okay for Kaede to cry if she wished so, but for Kikyou to weep, would be ridiculous. Kaede had always been closer to their mother and stayed with her after their parents' separation. Kikyou, on the other hand was affiliated with her father, a naturalist. He was alive, although glaringly absent in his wife's funeral.

Kikyou patted her younger sister's head, trying to comfort her. Kaede was 14 now, nearly 10 years younger to her and needed all her support to help her sail through this loss. She was barely a year old when they had broken apart, although Kikyou kept visiting her from time to time and they both had spent their vacation with their maternal aunt and cousin Kagome.

'_I'll protect you Kaede. Don't worry.' _Kikyou vowed silently as she watched the fires burn low and die out, leaving nothing but dark grey ash.

* * *

Kikyou let out a tired yawn as she pored over her accounts. She was a CA in an esteemed company and had plenty of work to complete. It was two weeks after her mother's death and Kaede had moved in with her in her tiny rented flat in the heart of the city. It was 1:00am and Kikyou arose from her seat, wanting a quick cup of coffee. She walked toward the kitchen to make herself one when she glimpsed Kaede, sitting up in her bed staring out of the window. Kikyou quietly entered the girl's room and said gently, "Kaede? Why are you still awake? Go to bed, it's a school night." The dark haired girl stared at her sister and whispered, "I miss Mom." Kikyou sighed. She watched the girl for a while, slid onto her bed and replied, smoothening her hair, "I know that dear…but what can be done about it? Mom isn't going to come back. Come on, go to bed."

Kaede lowered her eyes, nodded slightly and lay back. Kikyou tucked her in, kissed the top of her forehead and turned out the light, shutting the door softly behind her. _'Poor kid…' _She reflected as she set about making her coffee. Kaede needed time. It would take a long time for her to heal from this blow. Kikyou yawned and stretched as the coffee boiled, when her eye caught on to the sheaf of papers on her kitchen counter. She skimmed through them. Many of them were letters or postcards, condoling the death of her mother. She did not know her own mother very well and although she did grieve at her death she recovered quickly than the most. It was her nature, not to brood on anything for too long. The last one was a letter from a lawyer. Feeling a little uneasy, she tore open the registered letter. It read:

* * *

_It is to inform Ms. Kikyou Fukuyako concerning her share of the property. _

_Mrs. Akiko Fukuyako(nee Higurashi) has willed her abovementioned daughter as well as her second daughter Kaede Fukuyako the Higurashi Shrine, which is her ancestral property. _

_This is to immediately inform the concerned parties about the appropriation of the shrine and grounds which contain a bungalow as well as an outhouse and its registration under their names. Please come and meet me on Saturday, 25__th__ June at 10:00am. _

_Signed, _

_S. Deguchi _

* * *

Kikyou blinked and pondered over the news that the letter carried. Her mother owned a shrine and grounds? She vaguely recalled her mother had talked about a shrine when she was younger, although she had never visited it. It was supposed to be abandoned since her grandparents' death. For some reason, Kikyou did not look forward to the possession of the property. It would be hard work, keeping the shrine and its grounds in perfect condition and she would not be able to manage it with her strenuous job. However, her inner voice urged,

'_Come on Kikyou. Even if you just inherit it in name, you can still sell it and mint money. An ancient Shinto shrine is no joke. It will fetch a good price in the market. Anyway, auntie and Kagome were always dying to possess a shrine. After all, Kagome's father was your mother's younger brother… You can just give it to them free. Moreover, who knows? It may be a good place to sit quietly and write.' _

Kikyou had a passion for writing and dreaming up stories. She had always wanted to write and publish a book but never had the spare time for it. She wrote a little on weekends, sometimes typed out useless plots or ideas or some unique incident she observed on her smartphone. However, this dream was far from being realized. She wanted to relax a bit, find a more spacious place than this tiny apartment of hers. Maybe then, she would actually be able to take up her writing projects seriously.

* * *

A little fresh mountain air wouldn't do any harm. Besides, Kaede needed some breakaway. Having spent all her life in small spaces, her mind had grown one track. The poor thing had no eyes or head for anything except school and homework these days. Kaede had stopped going out, contacting her friends or doing anything at all. Kikyou was worried about her little sister. Kaede was a laughing healthy child before, but now she had grown withdrawn. She spent most of time in her room finishing her homework or doodling idly in her notebook. All her time was filled with silence. Perhaps, a larger and spacious environment would give her some energy…not make her feel as a dot in the world, with no one to bother about her. Kikyou weighed her options. The maintenance of the shrine was definitely going to cut into her expenses. But would it matter much before her sister's smiling visage?

Kikyou pursed her lips slightly as she poured herself a cup of coffee. A shrine could not be that bad. Did it not contain a bungalow? They could surely move in for good. Also, did shrines not have an archery ground? Kaede had always wanted to learn and practice archery. Maybe she could practice there. It was going to be good. Her mother's inheritance was a godsend. Kikyou sipped her coffee and went back to her work.

She had already decided to contact Mr. Deguchi.

* * *

**A/N: How was it, guys? Can't believe that I'm going to write another novel! :O **

**Feed backs are welcome!**

**And let me warn you…it is going to be creepy…very very creepy! (as if the genre didn't suggest that already :P)**

**Anyway, have a nice day and wait for my next update! :)**


	2. Trouble

**DISCLAIMER:** _I don't own Inuyasha characters. It is the property of Rumiko Takahashi._

* * *

Kikyou panted heavily, observing her surroundings. The massive red torii towered imposingly over the shrine and house. A cool breeze blew, rustling the leaves of the tall conifers bordering the entire property. The shrine appeared old and decrepit; the green roof splintered and caved in at places, a layer of dust over all and sundry. Kikyou noted, once again, the ofudas pasted on the wooden doors and windows of the shrine. This sight made her uncomfortable. It seemed silly…not to mention…superstitious. She rubbed her arms as the cold November air whipped around her once again. Adjusting her beige scarf, she turned around to see the man huff up the shrine steps with her baggage in hand. Suddenly feeling guilty, she reached out to take one of the bags from him.

"I'm sorry for loading it on you, Suikotsu-san. That too it is such a long climb." She apologized pulling the bag from the lightly panting man. "It is alright Fukuyako-san. It isn't so heavy." Suikotsu answered with a smile. He was her colleague, a tall slim man with straight black hair and friendly brown eyes. He had offered to help her move to her new house although Kikyou had not wanted his help. "It's a large property." He observed taking in the massive shrine and the space around it. The entire area was well paved. To their right side stood a Goshinboku bordered with a wooden fence. The sweeping shrine grounds stretched to their left, shaded by conifers. "Kaede! Come on, be quick now!" Kikyou called out to her sister who was still far behind them, dragging herself up the steps. When Kaede at last reached the landing and looked up at her surrounding, a rather disconcerted look passed over her face.

"Um, are we going to stay in this dilapidated shrine, sister Kikyou?" She asked uncertainly.

"No, Kaede. It's through here." Kikyou motioned her followers toward a canopied passage, nestled to the right of the shrine. The paved route opened onto a clearing, which housed the bungalow, picketed by a tall fence. The trees clustered together forming a ring around the fence. Climbing up the steps, she unlocked the door and slid it open stepping into the genkan. Removing her shoes, she walked through the corridor and pulled open the first sliding door to her right. It was a living room, furnished with a low Japanese table, a bookshelf, a television and a couple of couches. A butsudan stood in one corner and the windows were curtained with green drapes.

* * *

"Wow…everything looks so clean and neat." Suikotsu commented looking around the house.

"I had everything cleaned out and our belongings moved in a couple of weeks ago." Kikyou answered.

"You're really efficient, Fukuyako-san." He said admiringly.

"Why, thank you, Suikotsu-san." She replied stepping into the corridor again and sliding the door next to the living room to reveal a kitchen-cum-dining room with a backdoor.

"Sister Kikyou, I'm going to explore a bit, can you take my handbag?" Kaede burst into the room, her eyes sparkling. Clearly, the sheer expanse of the property had made her curious. "Sure, Kaede. But come back soon, we have to unpack our clothes." Kikyou said with a smile. Surely, this was her best decision ever. The girl nodded and shot off like a storm.

"I think we should continue with our tour." She said looking at Suikotsu.

The long corridor terminated at a bathroom. The room on the left side of the corridor was a storeroom. Beside it, wooden stair led up to the first floor landing.

"Could you wait in the living room for a moment? I will take these bags upstairs." She told her companion. "Sure." He affirmed cheerily, handing over his baggage. She went up to the first floor, opening one of the four rooms. The peach walls greeted her as she stepped in. It had a bed, a desk and chair, a mirror, a cupboard and a step-in balcony. The bedroom was furnished with all shades of orange and yellow which were Kaede's favourite colors.

Kaede's room was the only one with a balcony. The Goshinboku was visible through it. The room adjacent to it was Kikyou's, decorated in blue and green with the usual furniture. Her window overlooked a portion of the back of the shrine. Kikyou stood in looking out of the window at the shrine. For some strange reason, it made her feel uneasy. She brushed off the dread that crept up her spine and went downstairs.

* * *

Kikyou poured the piping hot beverage into the cups. They had decided to sit out, in the open and hence the dining room table and chairs were moved under the shade of the trees near the bungalow.

"You are very lucky, Fukuyako-san. Most people in Japan would envy you for inheriting such property. " Suikotsu said as they sat down with their tea.

"Well, I guess so…knowing that Japanese housing costs are so exasperating. I intend to rent out the extra rooms in this house and any suggestions as to what I am to do with that storeroom that I cleared?" Kikyou said, delicately sipping her tea. Kaede was still away, exploring on her own.

"Uh well…you could use it to store something…?" Suikotsu replied foolishly, scratching the back of his head.

Kikyou pursed her lips to keep from laughing. To cover up her amusement she said, "Well, that is what it was being used for!"

"Hehe…I do not have any idea." He went on feeling doubly idiotic.

"So…what is the story of this shrine and everything? I mean weren't priests and priestesses the only ones to own a shrine?" He asked trying not to sound eager. Kikyou smirked a little at this question. She had heard from her friends that Suikotsu was always interested in histories but she did not think he would really ask outright.

"I must say, I do not know much but my mother's lawyer told me, when I visited this property for the first time, that this shrine was built by my ancestors. One of my ancestors, a miko, was related to the Izumo Taisha shrine." She said.

"But that means you are related to the Imperial Family!" He exclaimed his voice tingling with awe.

"Perhaps it is so. Deguchi-san told me that the miko built this shrine and she had a peculiar condition. She married a priest and decreed that all her sons and daughters should continue the family profession by marrying other priests and priestesses. It is said that she passed her powers onto her daughters. And her daughters passed it onto their daughters. This way, the ancient priestess powers were retained through generations. Later on, these powers were no longer passed down. I mean no one believed much in them. Miko became a thing of Japan's ancient past. My great grandmother was the one to finally shut the shrine down." Kikyou explained, as the Suikotsu's face appeared to shimmer in the heat waves of the tea.

"Wow. That is quite a handful of history we have here. Don't you feel the least bit excited that you are a miko?" He whispered in suppressed delight.

"Not really. I mean I'm proud of my DNA but having miko powers isn't really required in today's world, is it?" She countered with a slight smile. "I for one do not really believe in these shamanic powers."

There was a moment of silence between the two adults over this declaration. A light wind blew, rustling the leaves, bringing with it the autumn air and a piteous cry.

_"Sister! Sister Kikyou! Help me!"_

"Kaede!" Kikyou and Suikotsu barked in startled unison, jumping from their chairs.

* * *

**Torii: A gateway of a Shinto shrine **

**Ofuda: Sacred paper which is equivalent to the abode of the deity. In Inuyasha, Miroku generally uses ofudas to banish or bring out the spirits true from. **

**Butsudan: Worship Altar/Family Altar**

**Genkan: Entrance hall **

**Goshinboku: Sacred Tree **

**Miko: Shrine maiden/Shamanic priestess **

* * *

**A/N: How was that, guys? Please review! ^_^**

**What trouble do you think Kaede may be in? **


	3. Strange Occurrences

**DISCLAIMER:** _I don't own Inuyasha Characters. It is the property of Rumiko Takahashi._

* * *

"Kaede!" Kikyou and Suikotsu barked in startled unison, jumping from their chairs.

"Kaede! Where are you?!" The two adults echoed, scanning the shrine and the grounds.

"I'm stuck in the Wellhouse, sister!" Kaede yelled.

The Wellhouse! Kikyou's stomach made a sudden lurch and she stopped in her tracks. She had instinctively disliked that place. Located at the farthest end of the property, and diagonally opposite to the Goshinboku, it was a mini version of the shrine. There was a heavy unpleasant air about it. Perhaps it could be because it had fallen into disuse, festooned with cobwebs and coated with dust. Whatever the reason, the Wellhouse was the last place she would want her sister to be.

Kikyou turned and made a dash toward the bungalow. "Where are you going?" Suikotsu hollered in confusion, stumbling in midstride. "To get a torch." She replied making a beeline for her bag. "Right. I'll check up on Kaede." He said. Kikyou made her way back into the well, gripping the torch tightly. The door of the Well house stood open, as if inviting her into its darkness. She did not know how it was possible but even the sunlight from outside did not light up its dark space. There was no sign of Suikotsu. Perhaps he had gone in.

"Suikotsu?" She asked, cautiously shining her torch onto the room.

"Yeah. I think we have a problem here."

Kikyou swallowed a scream on seeing the 'problem'. The last of the wooden steps leading down the room had caved in and Kaede's body was stuck into the gaping maw. She tried not to look sheepish as Kikyou stared down at her. The girl was stuck in such a way that she could not move without help as the splintered floor boards had completely jammed her in. "How can we get her out?" She asked, carefully stepping into the Wellhouse and surveying the place.

It had wall-to-wall shelves for storing and a large square well was erected in the centre, its mouth closed off with a couple of wood blocks, sealed over with ofudas. Spider webs hung from above the ceiling, casting a thick screen over the well. "Do you have a hammer on you? We will have to break off those jagged splinters and widen the gap." Suikotsu said, scratching his hair. "Okay. I shall get one from the tool shed. Hang on a bit Kaede." Kikyou said hurrying off into the direction of the shed. _'How on earth did Kaede get herself into this?' _She thought shaking her head sadly.

* * *

"Okay. Fukuyako-san please hold up Kaede. I'll hack off the excess and then you pull her out." Suikotsu instructed, crouching over to hammer away at the floorboards. Kikyou held the girl's arms tightly as she watched the first splinter fall away in a couple of strokes. Within 10 minutes, all of them were out and Kikyou simultaneously hauled Kaede out. The girl staggered up the remaining steps and ejected herself onto the ground outside. The lower half of her torso was thickly covered with dust and grime. A couple of splinters hung out of her peach colored skirt and her pearl sweater was too stained with grime.

"Um…I can explain…" She began, looking at her sister's face towering overhead. Kikyou nodded.

"I explored everywhere and then I began to get bored. I saw that there were many bows in one of the rooms of the shrine but I could not find any arrows. So I went around for a bit and the I thought that there may be some equipment here and well…I looked around and found nothing except some ofudas and swords wrapped in cloth. I decided to go back...and…it was weird…I felt something cold and sticky sweep across my ankle…I was so startled that I jumped onto the stairs. Before I could figure out what that thing was…the floor caved in." Kaede finished breathlessly.

Kikyou and Suikotsu glanced at each other and looked down at the disheveled girl. "It was probably a cobweb Kaede. There are so many of them in that disused place. In fact, I can see one in your hair. I suggest you go wash up. And promise me that you will not go there again." Kikyou said calmly. With the floor suddenly caving in Kaede could have even suffered a sprained ankle or could have had a concussion on the impact. Kikyou was inwardly relieved that none of that had happened.

"I promise, Sister. I'm sorry to be so much of a trouble to you, Suikotsu-san." Kaede mumbled sheepishly, bowing low before bouncing off to clean up.

Kikyou and Suikotsu watched her disappear down the house path and heaved a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry to give you so much trouble. Kaede can be clumsy sometimes." Kikyou said, bowing to the man. "No, no. It was a duty, Fukuyako-san. Anyway, I should be leaving now." He said with a smile. "May I come to drop you off at the station?" She asked politely as they walked down the pavement, toward the torii. "No, thank you. I can manage. Enjoy your week end, Fukuyako-san." Suikotsu said, descending the steps of the property.

Kikyou waved him goodbye and walked back to the house.

* * *

After lunch, Kikyou decided to look up her mails and perform some office-related task. As she was making her way to the stairs, she noted that she had forgotten to arrange the bustudan. Sighing a bit, she brought out all the photos of the deceased people in her family, her grandparents, her maternal uncle and her mother and arranged them properly on the altar. She arranged a vase of fresh flowers and lit some incense to clear the air and shut her eyes in a prayer.

'_Mother, although you may be no longer present in this world…please watch over Kaede. She still needs you. Forgive us for any offences.' _

She bowed her head for a few more minutes then stood up and headed to the bedroom. Kikyou logged into her laptop and settled down for work. Half an hour later, Kikyou was completely absorbed into her mails when a loud crash made her snap her eyes away from the screen. _'What's that? Did Kaede fall down the stairs now?' _She thought pattering out of the room. Nope. No clumsy girl on the stairs. Had something fallen in the living room? Kikyou bounded into the room and stumbled in midstride, her mouth agape.

The butsudan was strewn apart.

The photos, the incense, the vase…all lay scattered off the altar as though some invisible hand had swatted everything away. All the photos lay squashed to one side, the dim embers of the incense stick was poking a hole in the tatami and the flowers lay carelessly to one side…with the water spilling and soaking the floor. She gazed around a bit muddled by the wreck.

'_How did this happen? I remember arranging everything properly.'_ She pondered, blinking in confusion. She began clearing up the mess still a little dazed. _'Maybe one of those photos toppled over and fell causing a chain reaction.' _Well that was the only rational explanation. None of the windows were open to induce a sudden draft that would sweep heavy glass and porcelain off its pedestal. "Sister Kikyou, what happened?" Kaede's voice broke through her thoughts and the older girl turned to find the younger one holding a sketchpad with a pencil between her lips.

"It's nothing, Kaede. These photos just toppled over." She answered. Kaede nodded and said, "I'm going out to sketch. Near the shrine, is it alright?" "Sure. But you must not go toward the Wellhouse under any circumstances." Kikyou called, raising and making her way upstairs. "Ok!" Kaede hollered and disappeared within minutes, the door slamming shut behind her.

Kikyou smiled to herself at the child's enthusiasm. Kaede had brightened up since they had moved here. It was a good sign. Just as she reached the second floor landing, a familiar crash emanated from the hall. Her eyes widened and she leapt down barging into the room. Surprise gripped her throat, as the bustudan lay scattered in its earlier fashion_. 'Wh-what 's going on? How can the same thing happen twice?'_ Her hearted raced; she clenched her fists to keep her cool. She had arranged the altar carefully this time, ensuring that nothing would topple over…then why? A blast of cold air crept up her spine making her shudder. It seemed to drift through the kitchen. Kikyou ducked into the room and let out a sigh of relief as she noted that the back door stood ajar and the wind was blowing strongly through it.

"Silly girl. She left the door open." Kikyou murmured to herself, closing it. _'But wait…I heard the door slam! If that is true then how…?' _Her throat tightened in fear as she remembered the lawyer saying rather jocularly, "Fukuyako-san, this place is reported to be haunted. So don't mind if the occasional ghost pops out and squeals 'boo'!" Not to mention the odd vibes that the shrine and well had radiated when she toured them. What of Kaede falling through the cave floor? And now this…

Her thoughts made her uneasy but she shook it off with her usual string of rationality. It was possible that the door had deflected back after the slam, the same slam had vibrated the walls, and caused the butsudan to scatter a second time…whatever the case, she figured it would be better if she just sat in the hall. Anyway, soon she'd have to go out and get ingredients for their dinner.

Being older was just riddled with responsibilities.

* * *

As the night settled onto the city, a pair of eyes watched the two young women pant up the shrine steps. The younger one was complaining, saying something to the likes of "We'll reduce to skeletons if we climb these steps every day." The older one gave her a small smile and walked ahead listening to her chatter. As they passed near, he heard the older one say, "Kaede, you draw beautifully. You must enter into the art contests. It will give you a wider scope and you will have a number of certificates to your name."

At this, the younger one bit her lip and let out an embarrassed laugh. "Not yet, sister Kikyou! I still have a lot to practice." Thus the conversation continued and he watched as they entered the house.

'_Kikyou, huh?'_ He mused. _'Well, I guess she's brave enough to challenge me like that...most people would make a beeline to the nearest monastery an experience like that. Seems that this one will be a tough nut to crack. I'll have to think hard to pull something that might make her melt.' _

He while his time away just keeping an eye on the house and thinking until a distinct smell caught his nostrils. He leapt down from his perch and peeped through the lighted kitchen window catching a glimpse of Kikyou rummaging around the fridge.

As his eyes focused on the girl, a wild grin spread over his face and he chortled in pleasure.

"Jackpot!"

* * *

**A/N: Any idea on what this mysterious person is going to do? Three guesses on his identity! :P **

**But I feel ya'll must have figured it out by now. Keep reviewing guys! :D **


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